Vestella
Vestella is the continent upon which the campaign takes place. It is made up of six landmasses arranged in a pentagon shape. Upon its creation by the Ten Mothers, Vestella was perfectly symmetrical. Over the centuries, however, the land has eroded and shifted, giving it its current, natural shape. Each of the Five Fathers created a race in his own image, and assigned it to one of the five "corners" of Vestella. They then departed for reasons and to destinations unknown. The central landmass of Vestella is available to all races- including all the uncommon races, which were created through crossbreeding, magic, evolution, and other means. The Quinzu water system that separates the six countries is saltwater, and it does not flow like a river. Countries Esparrus The central landmass of Vestella, Esparrus is home to a myriad of races, cultures, and climates. Its northern areas are forested with small mountain ranges. Its heart consists of grassy plains and sparse woodlands that circle the massive Nalma Lake. The climate is breezy and the land is flat at the southern end. No race is allowed to lay claim to Esparrus, as it is not the will of the Ten Mothers. Any attempts to do so will be thwarted, if not by other people then by more direct intervention. Esparrus enjoys direct trade with Darvin, Ulfgar, and Lorilla, and creates an immense variety of its own products. Darvin The northernmost landmass of Vestella, Darvin, is home to evergreen forests and snowy mountains. Humans inhabit this country, as they are able to adapt to most any climate or terrain. Darvin allows other races to visit, and on rare occasion to take residence. Many different clans make up the population of Darvin, however, and some are far less welcoming than others. Darvin isn't considered the leading nation for any specific craft or export, but are second or third in all fields. Ulfgar Dwarves call Ulfgar, the northwestern landmass of Vestella, their home. The vast Ural Mountains make up most of Ulfgar's natural terrain, and from the surface it appears to be almost completely untouched. This is of course because dwarves carve their cities into the hearts of the mountains themselves. Ulfgar, as a country, is very weary of visitors, but they may be reluctantly allowed entry. Gnomes are the notable exception to this reluctance- as they are viewed as something of kindred spirits by the dwarves. Ulfgar is known throughout Vestella for its powerful unified military, and its exceptional armor and weapons. Drusilia The northeastern landmass of Vestella is a dense and beautiful forest known as Drusilia. Elves occupy this land, protecting its sanctity with their very lives when necessary. The forest itself is said to harbor an ancient and mysterious magic. Visitors are strictly prohibited from entering Drusilia under any circumstances. Even elves who venture out are often denied reentry. Drusilia does not trade with other countries, and thus little is known about it to those in other lands. Lorilla Gnomes call the southeastern landmass, Lorilla, their home. Lorilla is mostly made up of savannas and deserts, with many sheer cliffs and plateaus dotting the horizons. Gnomes construct their homes and markets underground, but they travel on the surface. Lorilla is open to visitors, but they are watched closely. Gnomes are more technologically advanced than any other race by quite a large margin, and thus Lorilla is known for the complex gadgets that are created there. Thornhill The southwestern landmass, called Thornhill, was once home to the halflings. The breezy, rolling hills and sparse woodlands were perfect for their easygoing lifestyle until about a century ago, when the goblins and hobgoblins worked together to drive the halflings away. Shortly after, the hobgoblins turned on the goblins and banished them as well. Thornhill no longer allows any visitors. The hobgoblins do trade with other countries, but do not seem to create much of their own. Under its former halfling ownership, Thornhill was known as Vestella's greatest source of art- music, painting, literature, and so on. History The White About 1500 years ago an unknown event took place, which effectively erased recorded history up to that point. Those who lived through the event retained many of their memories and much of their wisdom, but could recall nothing which could be used to piece together world events that had happened. The only historical knowledge which was retained was that of the Fathers and Mothers. For this reason, it is speculated that they themselves were the ones responsible for the wiping of the past. This event has been dubbed “the White.” Different cultures were affected differently by the White. Most were sad to have lost memories, and afraid that it would happen again and wipe away even more of the past. Dwarves took it harder than other races, valuing tradition and ancestry among the most important aspects of life. On the contrary, halflings retained their songs and their art, and that was enough for them. The Under was affected by the White as well, which erased any semblance of unified government they may have once held. In the chaos, absent from the divine intervention of the surface, three factions arose to battle for control. The Grey About 500 years ago a horrible disease swept the kingdom. Aside from the elves, all of the base races were susceptible to the disease. Humans, adapting quickly, lost 20% of their population. Dwarves had the greatest rate of surviving the disease, at 30% of those infected. Still, they lost 40% of their total population. Halflings and gnomes were hit especially hard, each losing around 60% of their population. Victims of the disease turned grey as they died, regardless of their natural skin color, thus giving the disease its name. The cause of the Grey remains unknown, although many theories exist. The Black ("The Vavith") The most recent threat to sweep the kingdom of Vestella came from beyond the planet itself. The town of Fellrock was destroyed by a meteor, which harbored a deadly parasite. Luckily the spores were unable to affect most creatures, seemingly only able to target "monstrosities." Still, the infected were highly violent and resistant to damage. Between 200 and 300 people were killed by infected creatures across Esparrus alone (where the infection was most concentrated) and another 74 fighters were lost in The Battle at Fellrock. If not for the preemptive measures of The Heroes of Fellrock, Captain Thuradin Tydrom, Vance, Brilledille, Kezias, and many other warriors, this parasite could have quickly grown beyond control and caused unprecedented damage in Vestella. "The Black" comes from the black fluid and tendrils that poured out of infected beasts, as well as the parasite queen having infected Relzrureos the black dragon.